THE FAMILY of a mother of three, who was killed when she was hit by a car as she attempted to cross a major road, does not blame the driver, her sister has told an inquest.
Paula Keatinge (44), Arthur Griffith Park, Lucan, Co Dublin, suffered multiple injuries when she was hit by a car in the middle lane of the inbound section of the N4 on May 13th, 2010.
Dublin County Coroner’s Court heard Ms Keatinge had alcohol in her system at the time and had been drinking at a pub in Leixlip earlier that evening with a friend, Brendan Linnane.
The driver of the car, Glen Stewart, described how he tried to avoid Ms Keatinge when she suddenly “ran or jumped” into his field of vision.
“She was in front of me. I reacted by stepping on the brake and swerving to my right,” Mr Stewart, who was on his way to the airport when the incident occurred, said.
He told the coroner he did not see her “until it was too late.” In a statement to gardaí following the incident, Mr Stewart said he was “like a zombie” and wasn’t eating or sleeping after it happened.
Ms Keatinge’s sister, Catherine Quinn, told Mr Stewart that the family did not blame him.
Mr Stewart was breathalysed afterwards and the reading was zero. The vehicle, which was in roadworthy condition at the time of the incident, was travelling below the maximum speed limit for the road.
The inquest heard it was a dangerous place for Ms Keatinge to cross the road, with four lanes of traffic, including a bus lane.
Some people crossed the N4 on foot instead of using the footbridge, said Insp Michael O’Sullivan of Lucan Garda station. He described it as “a very dangerous practice”.
Ms Keatinge, who had one grandchild, and Mr Linnane took the bus from Leixlip after leaving the pub and got off at Woodies on the Lucan Road.
Mr Linnane said in evidence that Ms Keatinge wanted to go to a pub across the road and said it would be quicker if they went across the N4.
Mr Linnane said he wanted to use the footbridge to cross, as he thought crossing the road by foot was risky, and so he did not go with her.
A few minutes later, he saw the traffic slowing and blue lights and thought it “didn’t look good”.
Ms Keatinge was taken to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, where she was pronounced dead some time later.
Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty recorded the cause of death as shock due to blood loss due to trauma to the chest, abdomen and pelvis.
Under his direction, the jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
“Paula Keatinge was a relatively young woman and it’s a very tragic case,” said the coroner, who extended his sympathies to her family.
Ms Keatinge’s mother, Christina Keatinge, also attended the inquest.